“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” ~ William Shakespeare
My Pilate studio was born in the summer of 2019. Super informal without all the apparatuses. Just a couple of pieces. I knew then that I had to get a URL because I had to have a way for people to find me online. And a URL means that I had to figure out a name for my Pilates studio.
And so, Pilates Bound was born.
Pilates Bound. As you may have guessed, it’s a play off of the term “homeward bound”. The meaning of which is going home. So, of course, Pilates Bound is going to a Pilates studio.
On a deeper level, practicing Pilates is like coming home to me, and knowing myself better. At times, my practice can be a meditative movement. I think a lot of times when we picture someone meditating, it’s sitting still with closed eyes and a focus on breathing. However, when I think about meditation, I don’t think about the how-to’s of meditating, I think about the benefits of meditation, which are:
- Inducing relaxation
- Reducing stress
- Reducing anxiety
- Improving focus and concentration
- Ability to adapt or process emotions
- Improving overall health – mental, physical, emotional, spiritual
When my Pilates practice is meditative, I’m focusing on the present moment. Not thinking about the past or future, or even worse, to-do lists. I’m thinking about how to make every Pilates exercise a full body exercise.
I mention this because maybe you’re like me. Maybe you have tried meditating by sitting still? Maybe you tried sitting in different areas around your house? Maybe you tried different apps? Maybe you tried meditating at different times of the day? And maybe, just maybe, none of it has worked.
So, here’s an opportunity for you the next time you practice Pilates – keep your mind on the present moment, work on the full body connections of each exercise, and focus on your diaphragmatic breathing. A meditative movement like Pilates might be the right form of meditation for you. Give it a try!